Trolley-wheel



(No Model.)

J. J. GOETZ su J. A. SMITH.- TROLLEY WHEEL.

Patented Jan'. 3l, 1893.

j "mim al; mili Unitas Strains ATENT Brice.

JOHN JACOB GOETZ, OF COVINGTON, AND JOHN'A. SMITH, OF DAYTON, Y KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES, AND HARVEY M. LITTELL,

OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TRO LLEY-W-H EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,014, dated January 31, 1893.

i Application led May 20, 1892. Serial No. 433,767. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN JACOB GOETZ, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton, and JOHN A. SMITH, residing at Dayton,

in the countyof Campbell, State of Kentucky,

citizens of the United States, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley Devices for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

Ourinvention relates,more particularly-- to improvements in the bifurcated-arm or harp and the accompanying bearings for the trolley, which are mounted at the upper or outer end of the customary supporting-pole or current conductor-arm carried by the car, the arrangement, construction and operation of which will be fully hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure l is a side elevation of a trolley-device embodying our invention; Fig. 2 a front elevation vwith one-half thereof broken and in transverse section on a central Vertical line through the axis; Fig. 3 an elevation similar to Fig. l, but of the other side of the device, and omitting the outer face-plate or journal-cap, to present a clear view of the trolley-bearing and lubricant passages; and Fig. 4t a detail front elevation, clearly showing one of thegaskets or packing-washers used under the outer faceplate or journal-cap of both the arms in said c harp'n A represents the trolley-wheel, having the usual conductor-groove a, and preferably constructed with web a and horizontal journals a2, the latter proj ecting laterally and integrally from both sides of said web, as best seen in Fig. 2. The usual bifurcated supportingframe or harp -arm for said trolley is constructed in two corresponding parts B, B', united at their lower ends b, b', by means of a screw b2. The ends b, Z9', are semi-cylindrical in cross-section, and screw-threaded, to form a male-shank or tang for engagement with a suitable socket at the upper end of the customary trolleysupporting-pole and current conductor-arm (not necessarily shown herein), carried by the car.

C, C, represent journal-boxes constructed at the upper ends of the harp arm B, B',

each box containing alarge, outwardly-facing cylindrical recess or chamber c, and an inner circular cup-shaped recess or chamber c', both recesses having correspondingv central openings or orifices c2 and c3, respectively, of slightly larger diameter than that of the said journals a2, for the free outward protrusion of said journals.

' D, D, represent the outer shouldered ends of journals a2, and d represents each one of an annular or circular series of rollers in the recesses or chamber c of both journal-boxes C, C. These rollers t just loosely enough in said outwardly-facing cavities or recesses to permit each to freely rotate or turn upon its axis and also to move around the journals within the cavity without materially affecting or interfering with the free rotation of the other rollers and the shouldered outer ends D, D, of said trolley journals restwithin and engage said rollers, thereby forming an anti-friction roller-bearing for both said journals. By giving the small amount of play to the rollers, the weight of the trolley wheel will be born upon the lower rollers which will cause the adjacent faces of the rollers to be held in such relation to each other as to permit of the surfaces of the rollers to move in opposite direction without any material friction,land especially as the rollers are partially submerged in the oil cup at that point. The weight of the trolley wheel thus being taken up by the lower rollers, the frictional contact between the upper rollers is only that which is occasioned by their own weight, which is practically nothing. In fact the contact of the rollers around the journal of the trolley wheel, one with the other, is so slight, that at times the rotation of some of the rollers above the trolley wheel is momentarily stopped or made to go in the opposite direcf tions from that shown by the arrows in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

E, E, represent face-plates or caps fitting over the outwardly-facing recesses or cavities c of the journal-boxes, being secured in place by means of screws e, whose Shanks engage threaded holes e in the rims of said j ournal-boxes. E represents a gasket or pack- Ling-washer of any suitable material, fitting IOC dered, to form two diameters, the outer di-` ameterf being less than the inner onef, and the latter inclined or tapered forming an inner countersink, as seen in said Fig. 2. This construction prevents any excess of oil from escaping out of the outer end of the bore until it has had time to fiow down the inclined wall of the inner counter sunk vportion and l escape into the larger oil receptacle, or'be taken up by the rollers or aile.

F represents a downwardly inclined apertu-re constructed in .both the journal-boxes,

and leading from the inner recess c to the rel @GSS C.

riphery of both journal-caps E, and flaringor curved inwardly vvtoward the trolley, asshown The inner ends of arms G13 project within the outer line of the concave j in Figs. l and 2.

faces lof .the trolley at both sides, and at suf.-

touchingo-r arcing contact, and thereby form guards and lguidesto ward off the trolley-Wire and prevent its entering or beingea-ught in the spaces between t-he Itrolley .and harp arms.

H represents a vertical receptacle orcavity constructed -Within that portion of each'harparm, commencing withthe journal-box at lthe top, and terminating on or about a line with the lower end of the straight portion of both said harp,armsas clearly show-n in Fig. 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and having an opening or orifice h, atfits upper end.

h', 71', v.are vertical grooves Acut in the 4outer face of each journalboX,.aud leadingffrom the l outer orifices h-.of ythe receptacles H, to the.

roller-bearing vrecesses c.

E3 represents a notch out in each gasket or packing-washer E', to make due allowanceI for the orifice h, and grooves h', and provide an :unobstructed vertical passage between each of said receptacles H and recesses c.

The caps E are each provided with a lower rounded extension h2, and the lowerportions of the gaskets arelalso vextended Jto-correspond therewith, said cap-extensions being provided to form suitablecoverin gs for said receptacleori-ces h.

In the `operation of our trolley-device theA loil or other lubricant is suitably inj ectedlor-applied through the j ournal-'caps, the open Icentral oriices therein facilitatingsaid applicationgof thelubricant, andalso permitting a clear and ready view or inspection .of vthe interiorof j lthe roller-bearings at all times, and for any other suitable purpose. The'lubricant circulates freely withineach box, the inwardly ilar- -ing orifices tapered holes of the journal caps y and the semi-circular walls of the recesses c serving to maintain it within said boxesand properly guide it toward the roller-bearings, and the apertures F permitting it to iiow freely from one recess c to the other c, and thevert1cal grooves h', h', furnishing suitable passages leadingtotheoriIiced-cavitiesH,h,below. The cavities H with their outlets h, h', can be used in two Ways, viz: on the one hand to form catch-basins or receptacles to receive and contain the overtiow or waste, such'as sediment, dust, metal-wearings, and the like from the bearings; and, on the other hand, to form storage-reservoirs for the lubricant, whlch Amay -be placed therein before the caps E are secured in place, the said lubr1cant belng drawn or projected therefrom to the journalbea-rngs by the centrifugal action of said bearings, or the vmovements of the kdevice caused by the swingingor rocking motion of i its .supporting pole or armfwhich latter ac- G represents each one of three radial arms 1 constructedon Aand projecting from the pe.

tion would rockfforfagitate the lubricant upward,-and cause more .or lessfo'f ittofoyeriow, spray, or otherwise fooze out of `the orifices h, and Ythence through ,-or along the `grooves h to the' bearings. Thisanti-friction formo-f bearings for the trolley, constructed and :mounted in boxesat the fuppe-r ends 'of the harp; and ticientv distance from theytrolley to prevent 1 ythe means provided within said harp for lubricatin g the isa-me, ,are at lonce simple, durable .and .economica'htand the wear v:usual 1n .trolley-devices is, by vour invention, reduced to 4a minimum and fbarely perceptible. It is obvious that, inst-eadof constructing the journais i-ntegral with the -Web of the trolley, a cent-ral bore or `hub could be made 1;1f 1 said web, and ia transverse lshafzt'or'spindle lrigidly ysecu-red therein with 'its .opposit'eiends -fprojecting beyond said hub at both sides2 for -proper engagement with ,the `rollerebearfnrgs.

l. In a trolley device, the co mbination, with .a bifurcated .harp-anni, the lower end of -whlch is .adapted to be :secured to the :trolley pole, and the upperend of reach portionof the arm is perforated and provided with .an Voutwardly fac-ing lcylindrical recess `around y.th-e perforation, a trolley Wheel journaled in the farm, and provided with an axle rigidly secu-red thereto, the ends of which axle proj ectthrough thesaid perforations into the respectrverecesses, a series of rotary bearings within-each IOO IIO

recess around each end of the axle, and a cap upon the outer surfacefo-f veach portion-.fof the alrm, substantially as set forth.Y

2. In a trolleydevice, thefcombinatlon, Wrth a bifurcated .harp-arm, the lower end of ',wrlrich lis adapted to be secured to the trolley pole, and the upper end of each portion -is lperforated and provided with .an outwardly facing cylindrical recess varo-und said perforation, also with a circular substantially.cup-shaped recess -to the rear of said .outwardlyfacing recess, said recesses .commu-nicating with yeach other by means of an aperture, atrollley wheel journaled in the arm and provided with an axlerigidly secured thereto, the ends of said axle projecting through the registering per- Vis rigidly secured thereto and rotates there-- with, and the outer ends of whichaxle are shouldered, each shoulder being even with the bottom of the recess upon that side, a cup upon each portion of the arm, a series of cy` lindrical rollers around the reduced portion ofeachend of the axle withinits respectivev recess, whereby' the end thrust and the rotary motion of the axle is taken up by the rollers,`

substantially as set forth.

4. In a trolley device, the combination, with a bifurcated harp-arm, the lower end of which is adapted to be secured to the trolley pole, and the upper end of each portion of the arm is perforated and provided with an outwardly.

facing cylindrical recess, each of said portions being also provided with a recess oran oil receptacle, a trolley wheel journaled in said perforations, the end of the axle of which projects into its respective recess, a series of Y rotary bearings in eachrecess around the axle, a perforated cap upon each portion of the arm, the inner portion of ,which perforation is enlarged orcounter-sunk, vand a gasketbetween the cap andthe bearings, the inner edge of which is cutaway to forma communication between, the two recesses, substan.

tially as set forth. Y

5. In a trolley device, the combination, with a bifurcated arm, the lower end of whichv is adapted to be secured to the trolley pole, and the upper end of each portion is perforated and provided with anY outwardly facing recess around each perforation, a trolley wheeljournaled in said perforations, the sides of which are each concave, rotary bearlngs around eachend ofthe axle within its re spective recess, anda cap for each recess, said cap being provided with three arms, the outer end of each of which projects intothe concave portion of the wheel,substantially asset forth. y y

In testimony of whichjoint invention we have hereunto setour hands.

JOHN JACOB Goufrz. JoHNH-A. SMITH.

Witnesses: p l JOHN E. JONES, L. M. JONES. Y 

